


something big, something dark

by graysonofgotham (cruel_oath)



Series: the shadowed perch [2]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deception, Fake Character Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:40:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27607094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cruel_oath/pseuds/graysonofgotham
Summary: “Up until now, things have been going smoothly,” Dick says. “Black Manta trusts Kaldur absolutely, but he has yet to enter their inner circle. With more and more children and teenagers getting abducted every day, we need to do something bigger to cement his position within the Light.”“And your idea,” Barbara deadpans, “is tofake your death.”
Series: the shadowed perch [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2006629
Comments: 12
Kudos: 71





	something big, something dark

**Author's Note:**

> This events of this fic coincide with those presented in [speak not a whispered word](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26962462). It's recommended that you read that fic first before you jump into this one.
> 
> Special thanks to [Marrissa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghoul_FunGhoul/pseuds/Ghoul_FunGhoul) for beta reading.

_ “Next on Godfrey’s Bonehead List, the launch of Ferris Aircraft’s new Earth-Mars communication satellite. That’s right folks. It’s not enough we’ve been  _ **_invaded_ ** _ by aliens… now,  _ **_we’re_ ** _ going out of our way to―” _

“Think I’ve got everything settled.”

Barbara flicks off the television, turning to find Dick leaning against the doorway of his bedroom. “You’re sure about this?”

“There’s no other option,” Dick says. “I know that the timing of all of this is  _ horrible,  _ but―”

“It needs to be done,” Barbara finishes. “Believe me, Dick, I get it.”

“I know you do.” He crosses the room, sitting down beside her. “I just… wish the circumstances were better.”

Barbara hums in agreement. With the League short-handed and the senior members of the team filling in the gaps where they could, everybody was already stretched thin. With Nightwing out of the picture, she’ll need to do a bit of restructuring to alleviate that workload he’ll leave behind, but it’s nothing she can’t manage.

The emotional toll, though… that’s something else entirely. Jason, Ted, and Tula had been bad enough. Dick might deny it, but he’s the  _ heart  _ of the team, and Barbara knows that they might not recover.

* * *

When Dick invites her to his apartment, she doesn’t have any reason to expect that things won’t go the way they usually do. With the stress they’re all under, she’s looking forward to a few hours where she’s not thinking about how they’re barely keeping with the criminals lurking in their city on top of missions with the team. So, she’s more than a little surprised when she finds him in an uncharacteristically grim mood.

“I’m going to just go ahead and rip off this bandage now,” he says, sitting her down at his kitchen table. “Kaldur is not a traitor. He never  _ has  _ been. In fact, he’s on a deep cover mission within the light.”

In the time Barbara Gordon has known Dick Grayson, he has only ever kept one major secret from her―his identity as Robin, the Boy Wonder. She distinctly remembers finding him behind the bleachers during their third period PE class, hissing directions for disarming a bomb into an earpiece. They laugh about it now, but at the time, she can’t deny that she felt  _ hurt  _ that he’d keep such a thing from her.

Barbara understands  _ why  _ Dick and Kaldur decided to keep the rest of the team and the League out of their plan. By all accounts, it’s the most logical move to make―if too many people know, then somebody is bound to give it away. She’d probably make the same call if she were in his position.

Still, no amount of sound logic can really prevent a small part of her from feeling a little hurt… nor can it prevent her from feeling just a  _ tiny  _ bit of anger over the  _ reason  _ she was brought in.

“Up until now, things have been going smoothly,” Dick says. “Black Manta trusts Kaldur absolutely, but he has yet to enter their inner circle. With more and more children and teenagers getting abducted every day, we need to do something bigger to cement his position within the Light.”

“And your idea,” Barbara deadpans, “is to  _ fake your death.” _

* * *

They act as though this will be a pretty routine safeguarding mission―and, truth be told, it  _ is.  _ Nightwing makes no mention of the intel Kaldur had provided him two weeks earlier, instead choosing to wave it off as a potential target for radical anti-alien “activists” to sabotage.

Naturally, the first half of the mission is quiet. Batgirl takes the time to enjoy the view, chatting idly with Nightwing as they scan the area for ground threats. The psychic link is mostly silent, with someone occasionally chiming in with nonexistent updates.

“This might not be the best time to bring it up,” Nightwing says, “but… I’ll miss this. I’ll miss  _ you.” _

“You say that like this is the end,” Batgirl replies.

“I know it’s not, but… you and I, we’ve been through a lot. And we both know that in this life, every time you see someone could be your last.” Nightwing turns to face her, his easy-going grin replaced with something much softer. “You’re my best friend.”

“Don’t let Wally hear you say that,” she teases. “He might get jealous.”

“Babs, I’m trying to be serious!”

“Names, Hunk Wonder.”

She can practically hear Nightwing roll his eyes beneath the mask. “I just want you to know, I―”

_ Heads up, minnows,  _ Lagoon Boy calls over the psychic link,  _ We got bad guys―Black Manta’s troopers. _

* * *

The initial shock and anger of the true nature of Kaldur’s betrayal and Dick’s subsequent plot to fake his own death fades relatively quickly. Instead, Barbara begins to feel something akin to intrigue. The mission would be dangerous, but in the end, the team might just deal the Light a heavy blow.

The logic is sound. The people involved are skilled. It’s the kind of high-risk, high-reward Bruce would probably endorse, but there’s a part of her that feels hesitant.

“I  _ know  _ it’s risky, but―”

“Dick, I don’t doubt your abilities,” Barbara says. “If anybody can go undercover and come back out of it alive, it’s you and Kaldur. What I’m worried about is the  _ team.” _

Dick’s shoulders slump. “I know this is going to hurt them. I  _ hate  _ that, but… what other choice do we have? The Light’s next test for Kaldur could lead to him having to choose between maintaining his cover or taking an actual life. I can’t… I can’t  _ force  _ him to make that choice.”

Barbara approaches Dick, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I’m not trying to get you to change your mind. I just need you to understand that the consequences could be  _ catastrophic.” _

Dick places his hand on top of hers. “Believe me,” he says, voice just barely above a whisper, “I  _ know.” _

* * *

Kaldur, to his credit, makes things look  _ good. _

The troopers on the shore might outnumber them, but Batgirl knows that they’re outclassed. She and Nightwing have no trouble taking them out, but the missiles prove to be a challenge―Superboy just barely manages to keep up until Miss Martian finally destroys the platform in the sea.

Kaldur, in one last-ditch effort to complete his mission, fires one final missile. Before it can get out of range, Nightwing throws an explosive batarang, destroying it before it hits its mark.

Batgirl prepares herself for the moment she’s been dreading all night. “Nightwing, behind you!”

She rushes forward just as Kaldur’s water-bearers take shape. She’s struck with a hammer, sent tumbling several yards across the sand, while the other takes the form of a blade. By the time she recovers, the deed is done.

_ “Nightwing!” _

* * *

A part of Barbara is disturbed to hear just how much thought Dick had put into this plan.  _ Disturbed,  _ but not at all surprised.

The other part of her is intrigued. If he were here right now, Barbara is certain that Bruce would be impressed. This level of planning was something he had imparted on all of his protégés, drilled into their heads until they could come up with contingencies in their sleep.

“This,” Dick says, holding up a small, white capsule, “is supposed to slow my heart rate down to the point where it’ll be virtually undetectable to super-hearing. Bruce designed it for one of his contingency plans, but I don’t think he’ll care if I borrow one for this.”

“Not like he’s here to object to it,” Barbara points out.

Dick ignores the remark. “The effects can last a few hours―long enough to fool Conner―but that only takes care of part of the problem.”

“Time isn’t on our side,” Barbara says, “and you can’t be seen walking around the Watchtower.”

“Exactly. That’s where you come in.”

* * *

In the early hours of the morning, Barbara hacks the zeta tubes and quietly grants herself access to the Watchtower.

Thanks to the back door Nightwing had installed during the last security update, she’s able to patch security feeds and motion sensors. However, she can’t afford to drag her feet―with Red Tornado on monitor duty, she estimates she’s got less than fifteen minutes before he notices that there’s something off. She wastes no time making her way to the Watchtower’s medical bay, not allowing herself to be hindered by the body double she had kept hidden  _ under her bed  _ for the better half of the week.

(She’ll  _ never  _ say anything bad about Bruce’s weird underworld connections ever again.)

Before she enters the medical bay, Barbara does one final sweep of the area to ensure nobody would see her up there. With the Watchtower zeta tubes muted, she can’t afford to let her guard down, not when they’re so close to pulling this off. Once she’s certain they’re alone, she proceeds to the gurney Dick lies in, setting the dummy and his gear down beside it.

It takes her a moment to find the zipper of his uniform, but once she’s found it, she pulls it down until she’s able to get to his heart. Barbara pulls an adrenaline shot from her utility belt and injects it, holding her breath until Dick stirs.

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Barbara says, helping him sit up. “I know you’re horribly disoriented right now, but we need to get you out of here before Tornado notices that you’re not actually dead.”

“Right,” Dick croaks, peeling off his mask. “Ugh, whose idea was it to use those Juliet pills?”

“Yours,” Barbara replies fondly, helping him out of his uniform.

She makes quick work of wrestling the uniform onto the dummy, filling Dick in on what he missed as he changes into the most nondescript clothing he owns. Once the dummy has taken his place on the gurney, the two of them make their way back to the zeta tubes.

“You better come back alive, Dick Grayson,” Barbara says, pulling him in for a quick hug. “You and Kaldur both.”

“And you be careful. All of you,” Dick says. “Take care of the team for me, alright?”

“Of course.”

He hesitates only for a moment before proceeding through the zeta tube, disappearing in a flash of golden light. As Barbara enters in the coordinates for the tube closest to her apartment in Gotham, she thinks back to the conversation they were having in Cape Canaveral―she would’ve liked to hear what he had to say, and had there been more time, maybe she would’ve thought to ask.

Maybe she’s better off not knowing.


End file.
